Taylor Christmas Letter 2015

Well, my friends, it is finally that time.  The time of year for your favorite blog post and mine.  The blog post written by yours truly, Mr. Christmas Moose.  (in case you are new to our family’s Christmas letter, you may read my short bio here).

It has been a sweet, happy, wonderful, and always eventful year in the Taylor home.  We started the year trying to lie low and take it easy, as Justine was pregnant with Baby #3 and everyone was urging him to stay put for a few more months.  Fur Rondy came and went and I was packed away in my hibernation box along with the stockings and ornaments.  I was so excited to meet the new little Taylor that I had a hard time falling asleep!  But fall asleep, I did, until just a few weeks ago when I woke up to meet the adorable Little Man.

Paul Moose…er…I mean…Kerry Taylor was born on March 16.  You can read all about that here.  He was quite the Little Man from birth and has stollen everybody’s hearts, but especially the Mommy’s as she still frequently cuddles him close singing her Little Man song.

Paul, aka, Little Man, Big Guy, and the Rascal of the house, has already surpased his sisters in: number of days in Mommy’s belly, size at birth, age to crawl and sit up, and number of times helping Dad fix the boiler. Looks like he might have picked up on some of that Taylor competitive spirit.

In April, the Taylor family said a sad goodbye to Dan’s Grampa Dexter as he passed away and is now in heaven with Jesus. Of course, they are thinking of and missing him extra this Christmas season.

Spring was a whirlwind taking care of the new baby, but soon summer arrived and with it, Lydia (or Lidnacious, Lydster, or Munchkin Number One) turned four.

She memorialized her fifth year as a human by swallowing a nail during one of the Taylor’s trips up North and spending the entire afternoon in the Emergency Room.  I don’t really blame her as she’s just a little tyke still and even Moose Calves have been known to eat strange things.

It doesn’t take many weeks out of your hibernation box to realize that Lydia is a fireball. She loves glitter and dresses, dancing and wrestling (with Daddy), giggling and laughing and singing. She never stops talking until the moment she’s asleep, unless you cave in and read her a book. But even then she’ll interupt with fifteen million questions and comments. She’s quirky and energetic and loves to snuggle with a passion that cannot be satisfied. Ya gotta love the kid!

OH! And I almost forgot, but the Biggest Kiddo is learning. She knows all the letters of the alphabet now (if you round up) and will soon be learning to read. Soon she’ll be writing her own blog posts at the rate she’s going! Here’s a sampling of her handiwork:

This summer the Taylors took their first real family vacation up North. It’s beautiful up there…the water, the forests, the trees, the perfect Moose homes…but I’m digressing. They loved their vacation and proved to the world that Abby is indeed the second child by spoiling her with treats Lydia wasn’t allowed to touch until…well…this year.

The family time was priceless. But, no, they didn’t take Christmas Moose. (I know you were all wondering) They didn’t even say goodbye. Sometimes I think they might forget I’m in there (in my box under the stairs, visitors are welcome). Ah well, maybe next year. Anyway, vacation:

Dan and Justine celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary this year, and I must say, they must love each other more than ever because there have probably been more date nights this year than the previous four combined. Not that anyone is counting (I think Justine might be).

Dan started a new job as a quality engineer this summer and the family has made quite the transition to switch to his early mornings. But they love having him home earlier in the afternoons too. There was plenty of baseball this year (not enough, according to the Men in the house), plenty of home repair (far too much, according to the Men in the house), and lots of time wrestling and running around outside. As for Justine, well, she’s always on the verge of being overwhelmed by her Munchkins and the Rascal, but she wouldn’t trade it for the world. Dan keeps her in check as far as her priorities (spend more time with the Moose), doing too much (but please, do dust the fireplace mantel where the Moose sits!), and getting plenty of fresh air (feel free to bring the Moose along).

As summer ended, Abby (Abigus, Abster, and Munchkin Number Two, sometimes also referred to as Goobmaster for her ability to maintain a runny nose for WEEKS on end) turned two.

Abby is the epitome of sweetness and a child of extremes. She is either the happiest kid on earth, madder than you would believe, passed-out-exhausted, or sicker than a dog. But mostly she is just sweeter than sugar with plenty of hugs and kisses to share.

Fall sure seemed short this year for the Taylors, just chugging along at their respective tasks. Before anyone knew what hit them, it was time for Gobbles (my friend, the ceramic Turkey) to go back in his box and me to come out of mine. Since that celebratory day, the lights have been strung and Christmas carols play daily. This year Justine even attempted Christmas cookies, failed her third attempt to healthify her favorite toffee bars, and roasted chestnuts in the oven.  Talk about festive.

We are in full swing of celebrating the birth of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. So, on behalf of the Taylors, I would like to wish you a blessed Christmas.  May you know more of the love and grace of God in the year to come.

Sincerely,

C. Moose.

PS – If you want to stop by for a visit, I’ll be out until Fur Rondy. And if you’re in the area, you should check it out! I hear there’s a little Taylor Rascal who just may be making an appearance.